This year’s edition of the Diamond Mineral Water Hockey Festival got off to a banger, with lots of goals, as GCC Vintage, GBTI GCC, and Hikers recorded respective divisional wins at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
Opening proceedings were GCC Vintage, who faced Old Fort Generals in the Value4U Masters O-45 category. The gentlemen from Bourda found themselves on the back early on when Old Fort bundled in two goals in the opening five minutes.
Paul Gonsalves scored a field goal in the very first minute of the game, while Dexter Wyles took advantage of a penalty corner to put Old Fort 2-0 up. As if awakened from slumber, the GCC Vintage players responded in fine fashion on either side of halftime to run out 6-2 winners.
GCC’s Devin Hooper got the party started with a well-taken field goal in the seventh minute, while Damion Woodroffe found the equaliser via the same route just five minutes later. From there on out, it was all GCC, with Woodroffe adding another, while the other three goals came courtesy of Patrick Edghill (23’) and Dwayne Scott, who bagged a brace in the 20th and 28th minutes, respectively, to close out a triumphant comeback for the Bourda boys.
Game two saw a much closer contest, this time in the women’s category between the GBTI GCC and Saints. Although the final scorecard showed 4-2 in favour of GCC, the Saints showed good resolve without the goals to show for it.
GCC took the early lead through none other than sharpshooter Abosaide Cadogan in the sixth minute; however, the Saints found an equaliser with the talented Clayza Bobb netting in the 15th minute from a penalty corner. The GBTI GCC ladies would net three more, with Sonia Jardine (24’), Cadogan (26’) once more, and Sandy Roopnarine (29’) on target. The Saints found a later consolation through Bobb once more, but their fight was for naught as they ended up 4-2 losers.
In another goal-fest in the Men’s Over-35, Antonio’s Hikers dominated the Old Fort Expendables 8-2.
For some reason, the Old Fort custodian kept selling his team short by rushing out to meet attackers, which left the goal open for the Hikers strikers to slot home after square passes.
Hikers’ Akim Toussaint was especially severe, netting four goals in the 12th, 14th, 19th, and 29th minutes, respectively, while Sherwin Caesar had a brace of his own.
Caesar’s goals came in the fifth and 26th minutes, while Ryan Cowie and skipper Devin Munroe had a solitary strike each. In response to the Old Fort side, Jason DeSantos and Dwight Sullivan were the men on target.
Up to press time, there were three games yet to be played; those results will be published in tomorrow’s article. Games will continue this evening at the same venue, with action bullying off at 17:00hrs.
